I have had T-mobile service for years now and am wondering if they provided me with the unlock code for the 8700g, would that work on my 8700c as well. From what i have been reading, the phones are pretty much the same. I figured that if I were to call them an ask them to unlock my 8700 they would assume that it is the 8700g and that the unlock code would work for my Cingular branded 8700c. It seems that this would be easier because I have unlocked phones with T-mobile in the past without any problems. Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks
-Justin

Welcome to the forums,
The unlock code is specific to each unit. It's based on the IMEI number which is different on every phone. The code that unlocks one phone won't work on any other phone, sorry. TMo can't unlock the 8700c. Only Cingular and the third party unlocking services. I don't think it's that expensive for the 8700c. Try GSMPhoneSource.com. They are a reputable BB unlocker.

Thanks John for you advice,

If I provide the IMEI from my 8700c to T-mobile wont the code they supply me work? I know that it's unique to each phone but I just thought that might work? Otherwise i can just use the site you recommended.
Thanks
-Justin

The IMEI won't be registered in their system and they won't be able to give you an unlock code.

Ahhh, Ok thanks John

Why can GSM locked phones still only work with GSM carriers unlocked? I still don't understand why, a sprint rep said that technology prevented TMo phones can't be used with Sprint just cause they use CDMA. Help anyone? Ideas?

For the same reason your AM radio won't pick up FM stations.

But like a walkman, can you switch from "AM" to "FM"? Is there some way to do this in any paticular way to switch from GSM to CDMA without to much trouble?

But the radio in my car can get AM, FM and XM. How come John?

<heh heh heh>

GSM and CDMA are two different technologies. A device made for one can't operate on the other. As John said, its like AM and FM and apples and oranges.

Also, neither Verizon nor Sprint will allow the others branded phones on their networks. The GSM carriers, Cingular and T-Mobile don't really care, I guess, since you can use an unlocked T-Mo phone on the Cingular network and vice versa.

The Walkman has two receivers. One for AM and one for FM. THey are on different frequencies. The GSM receiver is different than the CDMA receiver (which is different than the iDen receiver - that's for Nextel).

There are no GSM/CDMA BlackBerrys, and only a few phones. And those phones tend to use CDMA in the US and GSM outside the US.

I think I now know why the US is last in mobile technology, because manufactures are sick of dealing with making two of the same damn phones for one country and different carriers. They want to deal with new stupidities last.

Yes, I am sure the Motorola is tired of making CDMA phones for Verizon, the largest mobile phone carrier in North America..

Uh huh...

Uhhh..

I thought they were having fun making GSM phones for TMo AND CDMA phones for verison...

Better call them up to see if the party is still happening. Wouldn't want to miss that.

(By the way, nice dis on John. But mine has TV and WB and a 7 band short wave ability.)
<snicker snicker snicker>

The technologies work in different ways and also use different chipsets, think of it more as an old mac/apple mouse it does the same thing as an pc mouse but it used different pin sets to connect to motherboard. for more info howstuffworks.com it details who both technologies work and more

I know about the mac v IBM compatible issue. But that was so long ago. We've come a long way in compatiblity. Remember when mac and IBM compatibles had different formats, that issue for floppies don't exsit, but the modern one does, ie DVD, HD-DVD, and blu-ray.

They all play movies on the same disc and the same player. Execpt you need a seperete decoder for each format.

The same with frequencies, but, I look forward when a phone can be used for more than just one bandwith

John wasn't the one I was dissing. He knows all about different radio frequencies and chipsets.

John - do they have AM and FM in those planes?

And your analogy of CDs and DVDs doesn't quite work here. These are different technologies. It's kind of like 8 track, cassette, VHS and Betamax.

Ha ha ha.....

Actually, we do have AM frequencies. Our ADF (Automatic Direction Finder-which is one of the oldest aviation radio beacon technologies) is just a needle on top of a compass rose that points in the direction of the station that is tuned in to it. It includes all of the AM radio band plus more on each side. So we can actually listen to AM radio when we are not using the ADF for something else (which with GPS is almost always.)

Our VHF navigation frequencies start at 108.0 and continue up into our VHF Communication frequencies so we don't get any FM. On older radios I've been able to hear stations that broadcast on 107.9 on the 108.0 frequencies. FCC requirements for better frequency tuning have since made that not possible anymore on newer radios.

How's that for off topic?

Can you get XM Radio in the plane?

Doesn't that come with it seeings how GPS is on board?